'Embarrassing': Mitt Romney hits his fellow Republicans for traveling to Donald Trump's hush money trial

Zac Anderson, USA TODAY
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The parade of GOP leaders appearing outside the New York City courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial is "a little embarrassing," Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Wednesday.

"I think it’s a little demeaning to show up in front of a courthouse particularly one where we’re talking about an allegation of paying a porn star," Romney told reporters before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting in Washington.

The former president is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels amid the 2016 presidential election.

Top GOP leaders, many of them on Trump's short list for vice president, have appeared with the former president outside the courthouse over the last week to amplify his unfounded claims that the trial is political "persecution."

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, arrives for an all-senators closed briefing where they will hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via video conference at the U.S. Capitol on December 05, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, arrives for an all-senators closed briefing where they will hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via video conference at the U.S. Capitol on December 05, 2023 in Washington, DC.

The visitors have included Sens Rick Scott, R-Fla. and J.D. Vance, R-Ohio; Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

"Really very difficult to watch," Romney said of the courthouse visits. "There is a level of dignity and decorum that you expect from people who are running for the highest station in the land, and going out and prostrating themselves in front of the public to try and apparently curry favor with the person whose our nominee, it’s a little embarrassing."

The courthouse visits have become a new litmus test for Republicans seeking to show their loyalty to Trump as he looks for a running mate and rallies the party around him ahead of the November election.

Johnson on Tuesday alleged that officials were using the trial to keep Trump away from his reelection campaign. There is no evidence that prosecutors or other court officials overseeing Trump's four sets of criminal charges are targeting the former president's White House bid.

"This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial," Johnson said outside the courthouse.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mitt Romney criticizes GOP leaders visiting Donald Trump in court